Hands down, one of my favorite herbs is basil, there is just something about it that adds a bit of zing or flavor that I never get tired of, and I am a firm believer that just about anything you add basil to is better as a result. Having only married into a family...
Filipino food has long intrigued me, not just because its delicious but there’s also the mystery of why its not more popular. Why, given a fairly substantial population of Filipinos in the US, and abroad for that matter (Filipinos are some well traveled folk) are Filipino restaurant numbers not up there with their Chinese...
I had read about Asafetida in Madhur Japher’s tome on Indian cooking and seen it referenced in many other Indian recipes and so confidently picked up a container so that my future Indian cooking endeavors might taste that much more authentic. However, I was unprepared for what was to come…. What is It? According...
Mahlab was another one of those purchases I made because I was very intrigued yet knew nothing little about when I purchased a bag of this spice. However, after my first experience with mahlab, I was determined to learn more about this wonderful new addition to my spice repitoire. I love being pleasantly...
In British cuisine, the word curry started out as a generic term to describe what the British Army encountered a mixture of spices or spiced sauces, sauteed vegetables and meats, basically applied to about any savory Indian dishes. Along the way “curry” became a specific term for dishes created for the British in India....
I’d been cooking with fish sauce for a while and knew well its potency and pungency, but until I broke a bottle and liberally doused myself and had to suffer through folks quickly backpeddling to give me “breathing space” did I really get it – this stuff is strong – really, really, strong! No wonder the Vietnamese...
The more I learn about the Amalfi Coast, the more impressed I am. We owe a debt of gratitude for such culinary wonders as limoncello, and of course this incredible anchovie fish sauce, colatura di Alici. The sauce is simple to make: select fresh anchovies clean and pack in a wooden barrel add weight...
Have you ever wondered how many Knorr’s flavors there are, or Maggi, or Herb-Ox, or any other bouillon brands out there, and why you find them in every grocery store of every country you visit - no matter where you are? No? …lucky you, I must be the only one afflicted with this questioning nature (looking back, I...
Last night, my husband and I dropped by my in-laws. When my mother-in-law greeted us at the door, the first thing she said to me was, “Thank goodness you are here, you can tell me what these are.” She then ran to her kitchen and returned with a bag of, you guessed it, cheese...
Hong Kong All I can say is the dim sum was out of this world. I live in San Francisco and we can get some good dim sum here, but oh my. I tried not to get too adventurous because this was all new to my sister. Maybe she needlessly limited her restaurant selection...
